This invention relates to a method for producing packed fresh curd blocks, wherein curd blocks are formed using at least one block former, subsequently packed and discharged for further handling. This invention also relates to a cheese production apparatus in which the method can be applied.
The invention is suitable in particular for use in the production of cheddar cheese and similar cheese types. In the production of such cheese types the curd is pre-drained and dried, for instance in a cheddar machine of the type Alfomatic, and the curd thus obtained is so treated that pieces of curd, commonly referred to by the term of (curd) chips, are formed. The chips are fed to the top of a block former column, in which further consolidation and drainage occur. At the lower end of the block former a horizontal blade is disposed, commonly referred to as guillotine blade. The guillotine blade in the rest position closes off the underside of the block former and is retracted at predetermined intervals, so that the pillar of curd situated in the block former can move downwards. While doing so, the pillar of curd is supported by a platform, also moving downwards, which in turn is supported and controlled by a pneumatic cylinder or the like. When the pillar of curd has descended over a predetermined distance, the guillotine blade moves into the rest position again, whereby a block of curd is cut off.
According to the known technique, the blocks are pushed from under the guillotine blade by a push cylinder. In the process, the block passes a guide means, which can be designed as a short horizontal tube of rectangular cross section and which terminates in front of a conveyor track. Arranged at the free end of the tube is a plastic bag of a suitable material, for instance polyethylene. A block so packed in a bag is discharged via the conveyor track, which conventionally comprises a conveyor extending in transverse direction along a number of block formers. The bags are closed and evacuated. The blocks can then be conveyed to a storage room to ripen.
A drawback of the known technique is that the plastic bags at each block former are placed by hand, which is time consuming and unattractive work.
The object of the invention is to obviate the drawback outlined and generally to provide a method and apparatus by means of which blocks produced by a block former can be packaged in an efficient, hygienic and reliable manner.
To that end, according to the invention, a method of the above-described type is characterized in that a curd block, after leaving a block former, is placed in a conveying holder, that the conveying holder is conveyed via suitable first conveying means to an automatic packaging apparatus, and that the curd block is removed from the conveying holder at the automatic packaging apparatus and is subsequently packed.
A cheese production apparatus comprising at least one block former and a conveyor track passing along the block former(s) is characterized, according to the invention, in that the conveyor track leads to a central automatic packaging apparatus and is arranged for conveying conveying holders which in operation receive a curd block in a transfer station at the block former(s) and release the curd block in a removal station at the packaging apparatus.